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Three Officials Announce Bids to Replace Ackerman

By David W. Chen March 19, 2012 3:35 pmMarch 19, 2012 3:35 pm

At least three elected officials in Queens have decided to compete against one another in the Democratic primary in June to fill the seat of Representative Gary L. Ackerman, who unexpectedly announced his retirement last week.

The three announced their bids, in succession, on a politically manic Monday morning. First, the Queens Democratic party confirmed that it had selected Assemblywoman Grace Meng as its nominee. A couple of hours later, Assemblyman Rory I. Lancman, who had been hoping to get the nod, announced that he would run anyway. Then, just before noon, in an unexpected family twist, Councilwoman Elizabeth Crowley, a cousin of Representative Joseph Crowley, the Queens Democratic chairman, announced in a statement that she, too, was jumping in.

The three do not differ greatly on issues; all three are considered solid Democrats with strong labor ties and good relationships with immigrant communities. But the intraparty fight promises to highlight differences in personality, and expose rifts that are usually kept in-house.

The scramble began on Thursday, when Mr. Lancman, who had been mulling a challenge to Mr. Ackerman, had a change of heart, and decided not to run. But hours after Mr. Lancman, 43, dropped his bid, Mr. Ackerman, 69, who has represented Queens and Long Island for 15 terms stunned the political establishment by announcing his retirement.

By Sunday night, word had leaked that Ms. Meng would be the establishment’s pick to represent the newly drawn Sixth Congressional district of Central and Eastern Queens, with neighborhoods including Flushing, Bayside, Forest Hills and Rego Park. And at a meeting Monday morning, that institutional support was very much on display, as she was flanked by Mr. Crowley; John C. Liu, the city comptroller; and Councilman Mark S. Weprin, who had been considered another possible contender for the seat.

Democratic leaders, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Mr. Ackerman was expected to endorse Ms. Meng well before the June 26 vote.

The district tilts Democratic, and it is unclear who the Republican nominee will be, although much political chatter has centered on Councilman Daniel Halloran.

In a statement, Steven Stites, a spokesman for Mr. Halloran, said, “The councilman has not made a decision, but is giving the Congressional race careful consideration.”

Among the Democrats, Ms. Meng, a 36-year-old lawyer, is a strong fund-raiser and has strong connections to the district, which is almost 40 percent Asian. Ms. Meng, who, with her husband, a periodontist, has two young sons, is well liked among her peers; shortly after midnight, Councilman Eric Ulrich, a Queens Republican, tweeted: “Grace Meng happens to be one of the nicest people in Queens politics. Not sure yet who else might run, but I wish her the best.”

Mr. Lancman, 43, is known for his brash, relentless and ambitious style. But he has an early fund-raising advantage, with $130,000 on hand, and has long carved out a position as a strong ally of Israel and a longtime critic of Iran (his wife fled Iran’s Islamic Revolution as a child).

Ms. Crowley, 34, is the chair of the council’s Fire and Criminal Justice committee, and has been an outspoken critic of the Bloomberg administration’s attempts to close fire houses.

“While the county organization as a whole may not want to endorse a family member of its chairman, Elizabeth Crowley’s campaign will demonstrate that she is the best candidate to represent all of the communities in the new Congressional district,” she said in a statement.

The three will face off in a Democratic primary on June 26; the general election is in November.

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